A review by mhoffrob
At Briarwood School for Girls by Michael Knight

3.0

At Briarwood School for Girls is an enjoyable work of historical fiction, although set in the very recent past of 1993. At that time, Disney had announced a planned American history theme park in Virginia, near the Manassas battleground. The fictional Briarwood School for Girls is the setting for the novel, a high school boarding school, and it's students, faculty and alumna make up fhe cast of characters. Central to the story is its famous alumna, a reclusive, Pulitzer Prize winning play write, a la JD Sallinger. After decades, the Drama Club has been given permission to perform that play. Stories of haunted dorms and teenage pregnancies swirl through the script and the novel, with a little paranormal activity and prophetic dreaming stirred in.

Well written and a quick read, the voices ring true and the story line seems authentic, if a little stretched at times. The character development could be improved, but overall I enjoyed this novel, although the descriptions promised a more gothic take.